


A delayed conversation

by Zrttr



Series: Who am I when we are apart? [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Delayed conversations, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zrttr/pseuds/Zrttr
Summary: For someone who liked plans very much, Annabeth had to admit this wasn't well thought out. Riding a dragon to a camp full of people who hate you to talk to a guy you broke up with five years before wasn't very rational. But Annabeth couldn't afford being rational when the subject was Percy Jackson.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: Who am I when we are apart? [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890913
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	A delayed conversation

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a series, but you can read it without having to read the rest. Just Percy and Annabeth pouring out buried feelings about a discussion from half a decade before.

Annabeth wondered how much free time Leo had on his hands. Five minutes after Piper pulled her phone out of a pocket and sent him a text message, the daughter of Athena heard a sound akin to a whirlwind just outside her apartment building. A quick peek out the window allowed her to see a helicopter-sized bronze dragon, with a grinning boy mounted on it.  
Frankly, the capability of mortals to just ignore the mythological world happening around them was always pretty amusing to Annabeth. Even as Festus landed on her roof, the people walking on the streets still didn’t think it was something to take notice of. She didn’t have a lot of time to think about what her neighbors were thinking about the unusual means of transportation, though. Leo walked up to her, and because he was an inch or two shorter, hugged her from below and lifted Annabeth from the ground.  
-Annabeth, it’s so good to see you! When was the last time we saw each other? I think it was two years ago, right? When we built that new dam on Camp Half-Blood's creek, remember? Gods, it’s been long. Really, when Piper told me I had to get over here as soon as possible, I questioned if I could trick the multiple satellite surveillance systems that would pick on a dragon travelling from Morocco to the US in minutes, but...  
-Ok, Leo, calm down. I’m happy to see you too, but you have to put me back on the ground and speak slower, so I can understand it.  
-Oh, right, sorry... -he scratched the back of his head after letting her go, and then returned to talk again- So, hum, Percy back in town, I mean, country, back in the country, and you want to go see him, right? At least that’s what Piper told me over text message.  
Leo’s expression clearly showed how flustered he was about all of this. He never had a good way with people. The repair boy of the Argo II might handle himself in a conversation about engines and girls, but comforting someone who’s lost the love of their lives... Not so much.  
-Yeah. When he left, things weren’t exactly good between us, and I don’t think that’s the kind of thing someone can talk about through text message.  
He gave her a knowing look and said:  
-You’re in luck today, Annie, because I just installed a second leather seat on Festus’ back and a 60 inches television on the back of his head.  
-Well, first, how many times do I have to remind you? No Annie. -she shot him her usual glare that made cyclops call their mommies before continuing- Second, does it have wi-fi?  
Leo grinned before responding:  
-What do you take me for? An amateur?  
The journey to the West Coast was insanely fast, but surprisingly easy. In ten minutes, Annabeth could already see the Pacific on the horizon, and the traces of the Field of Mars below her. Because Leo was Leo, he couldn’t lightly land without making her heart jump out of her chest. So, Festus dove nose first into the ground, to the sound of a desperate Greek demigod who had just asked for a ride, and not a roller coaster experience. Also, once Annabeth finally had safe ground under her feet and was puking the ice-cream she had eaten with Piper, a close by bust statue of Terminus finally made itself noticed.  
2 / 6  
Annabeth didn’t know if the Roman god was more pissed about the two graecus on his lawn or the fact that a literal war machine had brought them there.  
-Daughter of Athena... May I ask you what are you doing here?  
A slight part of Annabeth just really wanted to go away. To be honest, people in New Rome knew who she was and most of their liking to her was reliant on her relationship with Percy. The son of Poseidon, after leading both Greek and Roman troops during the battle for Camp-Half blood, had been ascended to a level of celebrity that only the greatest politicians and generals were given. Annabeth, on the other hand, was still a daughter of Athena, and although no one hated her, people in New Rome were still pretty quick to give her not-so-pleasant side glances after the relationship with Percy ended.  
She wishes she could say that it hurt. The fact that the city where she lived the best years of her life now hated her. But the truth was that, ever since Percy told her what those years had been for him, walking by the places where she had classes and coffee with Percy hurt more than moving back to New York and pretending those years in New Rome never happened.  
But she was here to rectify all of those things. Her relationship with the thousands of years old city and, hopefully, the man she loved.  
-I’m here to talk to Percy.  
Annabeth had expected anything after that. A laser that would turn her into ash, a curse that would force to walk upside down forever, being turned into some kind of rodent... And from the look on Terminus’ face, she thought that he wasn’t opposed to doing all of those things to her at once. That’s why she was so surprised when he said:  
-Good. He’s on a pier he built for fishing on the Little Tiber.  
She didn’t know what was weirder, the fact that the Roman god of borders was happy that a Greek demigod was going to cross his border, or the fact that Percy had built a pier for “fishing”. But she didn’t stick around to ask more. Annabeth simply said goodbye to Leo, who straddled Festus and waved at her, and jogged/ran to where she knew Percy would have built the pier: the mouth of the Little Tiber, where they celebrated their third year together, and had one of the best nights of their lives.  
The walk was pretty long, after all, calling the Little Tiber "little” wasn’t exactly accurate. But, somehow, Annabeth still felt like she got there too early. She simply wasn’t ready to hear his voice again, not ready to see his disturbing green eyes again, not ready to be anywhere close to the person that shaped her life ever since she was twelve. The five years of being apart had built a level of tension that made Annabeth realize she didn’t know if it hurt more to be around him or away from him.  
But it was too late. He was there. Laying on the on the pier, with his legs dipped in the water and a fishing hat covering his eyes. His hands were serving as a pillow for his head, and the cigarette seemed so out of place in that mouth she knew so well. The khaki shorts and the unbuttoned Hawaiian t-shirt would have given a dad vibe to any other guy wearing it, but somehow Percy managed to make it look cool, just like he always managed to make anything look cool to her.  
She was so hypnotized by the man sleeping calmly on the pier, that she only noticed the floating fishing rod fishing rod a few moments later. It was floating in the air right above Percy, and the string  
3 / 6  
whose tip was being pulled into the water seemed to struggle to not lose whatever Percy was trying to get. Eventually, the floating fishing rod seemed to grow pissed at Percy, and hit him over the head with its handle, as if to tell him “you got to do something here, you lazy bastard”.  
Percy woke startled, but he still had enough control of his slumber to grab the handle and pull the... whatever it was that was trying to escape its fate as Percy’s dinner. He started pulling harder, and the thing’s face came out of the water. it disturbingly reminded Annabeth of the cafeteria lady who would serve her meatballs back when she was in middle school. But by the shaking of his shoulders, Annabeth managed to tell that he was very disappointed with his catch. Proving her suspicions right, he pulled a combat knife from the sheathe attached to his belt and cut the line, letting the fish/lady/terrible monster that would probably eat kids if given the chance go.  
The fishing rod didn’t seem too pleased with that, though, and started to angrily shake in his hands. Percy didn’t seem happy either, and started shouting at the magical object in his hands.  
-What do you want me to do? Remember the last time you convinced to eat one of those, when I got stranded, after the fight with Crisaor? I spent two weeks in the infirmary, vomiting purple liquid... We’re going to seat here and wait until something good shows up.  
-Well, I hope I fit in that category. -Annabeth said, not thinking before letting out the quick joke.  
Percy turned around, and his mouth became so wide open that the cigarette fell from it. He stood up, and started walking towards her. When looking at him, Annabeth felt like someone had entered her room, “reorganized” everything and made her feel like she was in a completely different place when she came back.  
His face was still the same, sculpted with slim and straight lines that made him look like a model. But now there was scruff around his handsome jaw, and a thin scar decorated his nose bridge. There were bags under his eyes, and the green in them felt darker, more wild and less inviting. The kind of look of someone who has seen everything. His hair was clearly recovering from being brutally shaved, with its black strands sticking everywhere under the fishing hat. And his face as whole exhibited the kind of tan some would get from being lost in a desert.  
The unbuttoned shirt gave her a wonderful view of his frame, much more robust than five years ago, with what was probably twenty pounds more of muscle. But she was also seeing things she’d rather not. There were multiple scars lithering his chest and abdomen. Some of them were old, back from the days of the wars. But most of them were new, and pretty big. On the right side of his chest, a tattoo of something written in Greek: “Βασιλεύς”, she read. “King”. There was another tattoo too. Because the right sleeve was tucked up to hold a pack of cigarettes, she could see half of a frog’s skeleton, which probably went from his shoulders all the way to his elbow.  
She took a step forward, trying to get closer to him slowly. But, in what seemed an instinctive move from a wounded animal, he took a step back. That made her heart clench. Percy looked down, as if his bare feet had suddenly become extremely interesting. Annabeth felt a bit outraged by that. She had literally crossed the country to talk to him, and he wasn’t even going to do the kindness of looking her in the eyes? “No”, she thought, “this is not how this is going to go”.  
-Percy, look at me.  
4 / 6  
The sound of her voice clearly stirred him. She could see the muscles of his jaw tightening before he gathered the will to look at her. The expression on his face almost broke right then and there. It was the same expression of when he killed Antaeus, the same of when he fought Crisaor... Percy, the person, left, and Percy, the greatest warrior of the last three hundred years was now running the show.  
Annabeth never even imagined he could look at her like that. Like an enemy. But she kind of knew why he had done that. Percy wasn’t strong enough. He simply wasn’t strong to carry out a usual conversation with her, and she couldn’t blame him for it. Right now, fear of things never being resolved between was the only thing that kept her from running away. Battlefield Percy, the persona he whipped out whenever he needed to simply carry out a mission, looked deep into her eyes with his frighteningly green ones, and said:  
-How did you know I was here?  
-You didn’t exactly make a secret out of where you were going to spend your first vacation.  
-You know that’s not what I meant. - Annabeth would be lying if she said it didn’t hurt a bit every time the words came out of his mouth in such a clear-cut manner.  
-Terminus told me. Grudgingly so, by the way. Seemed like he thought I should be here, but wasn’t happy about it.  
-Of course, it had to be Terminus. For a god of borders, he has some issues with boundaries. He thinks that I won’t be happy until we talk this out.  
-Well, I’m here now. You have a unique opportunity to try the “talking it out” thing.  
He seemed to ponder about that before answering:  
-What would we talk out? I think we both made things quite clear in that discussion five years ago.  
-Except we didn’t. I screamed, you screamed, and neither of us understood why the other was screaming. At least I know I don’t.  
He plunged the fishing rod, which he had been holding throughout the whole conversation, and sat down on the grass beside it. Percy then gestured for her to seat in front of him. Apparently, he had become even less fond of words during his time in the armed forces.  
-What do you want to know Annabeth? -unlike five years ago, he was calm and collected, as if he had been preparing for this talk for five years. He probably had, because Annabeth knew she had.  
-Why? Why did you enlist? I want to make sure that I understand, this time.  
-Because I really, really wanted to. I didn’t do it for this country. I love it, but it wasn’t the reason. I did it because I don’t know who I am if I’m not putting my life at risk. Fighting is what makes me feel me. I was born with the express purpose of fighting a war. I don’t have other things like architecture, but I know that I feel good when I’m on the battlefield with people I know I can trust. I need this Annabeth, and I hate the moments when I’m far away from it. The only thing I miss more when I’m in lack of is you. But if I stayed here because of you, I know that I would end up blaming you for living a subpar life... I wouldn’t be able to handle hating you.  
5 / 6  
It was almost too much for her. Listening to all that at once would have been too much for Annabeth... If she hadn’t been waiting for the answer to why their relationship went wrong. And now, she couldn’t help wondering what would have happened if she had been willing to...  
-Where did you get these new tattoos? -she was still a daughter of Athena, and she couldn’t help trying to satisfy her curiosity.  
-Well, I have two new tattoos, beside the old, roman, one. - he said, pointing to the trident on his left arm. - But this one, on my chest, isn’t actually a tattoo, it’s a scar. I guess you could say I took it from Crisaor.  
-Took it?  
-Yeah, we had a little altercation a few years back. This isn’t my first vacation, to be honest. Two years ago, I was stationed in aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean, and I chose to spend my accumulated leaves in Italy. You know, for old times' sake...  
Annabeth stayed silent. It would have made more sense for him, as son of Poseidon, to visit Greece. But she knew he chose to avoid the gods’ ancestral homeland because he still felt guilty about the fact that it was his blood that caused Gaya to come back. “You really need to get better at forgiving yourself, Percy”, she thought, but didn’t say anything and let him continue.  
-But some Nereids told me that he was still in the Mediterranean, terrorizing water spirits and human ships. For as much as I love him, Dad was always a bit lenient with his children... - for the first time, Annabeth noticed how the time in the military had made him stiffer, more methodic. She didn’t know how to feel about that. - So, I summoned a sunk ship from the Peloponnesian Wars. Unfortunately, it was Athenian, since I couldn’t find one from Thebes...  
Annabeth shoved him lightly, and he smirked at her. She missed this so much. This feeling of being at home when she talked to him. The little banter about his dad’s old hate for her mother’s city only made it all better.  
-Anyway, I led the undead crew to meet him in battle. After a few skirmishes, our ships rammed into each other and our men started fighting. I ended up finding Crisaor in the turmoil, and challenged him for a duel. He expected it to be easy, but I had a decade more of training than the last time we had fought. I won, and after he turned into ashes, I started to feel my chest burn. Burn like it had in Mount St. Helen... -he took a deep breath before continuing- I jumped out of Crisaor’s ship, trying to get help from the sea. Everything went black, and I woke up in an island, with this guy there to talk to me. -he pointed at the fishing rod shoved in the ground. - He’s name is Glaucus, he’s the god of fishermen, and father sent him to guide me in my path as Βασιλεύς.  
-That means “king”, Percy. What do you mean by “my path as king”?  
-Well... Apparently, ever since the first Athenian king, who was a son of Athena, the Mediterranean needs a Greek demigod to command it. That’s why the Roman Empire split into the Greek and Latin speaking parts, with the Latin collapsing. The Mediterranean simply doesn’t accept being ruled over by anyone but the Βασιλεύς, the one it sees as its king. Crisaor held the title, until I beat him. Glaucus is here to help me “not be a dick about it”. His words...  
6 / 6  
Annabeth giggled. She couldn’t help it. It was just such a Percy thing to do. Be given an insanely important task, owning up to it and not even telling anyone. Even downplaying it when he did talk about it. It was one of the things she loved most about him, even though it had kind of led to the end of te relationship.  
-I didn’t react how I should have, five years ago... - for a single second, Annabeth saw the shell of coldness crack, and his eyes flicker- Don't get me wrong, going behind my back to enlist was awful, Percy. But I understand why you did it. I should have tried to talk to you, but I just blew up and complained about you messing up my plans. -she leaned towards him slowly. - I don’t know if we can, Percy, but I want to try this. I’ll try to control my heart, and let you do what feel like you need to do. And every time you feel like you’ve had your fill of war, come back to me. Come back to our bed.  
-Can you wait for most of a year for me to come back?  
-I’ve been waiting for you to come back for five years. Mathematically, most of a year can’t be as bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated.


End file.
